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My Dog Tulip Audiobook
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(3.03) - 482 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Distinguished British man of letters J. R. Ackerley hardly thought himself a dog lover when, well into middle age, he came into possession of a German shepherd named Tulip. To his surprise, she turned out to be the love of his life, the "ideal friend" he had been seeking in vain for years.
My Dog Tulip is a bittersweet retrospective account of their sixteen-year companionship, as well as a profound and subtle meditation on the strangeness that lies at the heart of all relationships. In vivid and sometimes startling detail, Ackerley tells of Tulip's often erratic behavior and very canine tastes and of his own fumbling but determined efforts to ensure for her an existence of perfect happiness.
My Dog Tulip has been adapted to screen as a major animated feature film with a cast that includes Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave, and Isabella Rossellini.
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"If you've ever truly loved a dog as your companion, a member of the family, then you'll understand the thoughts, questions, actions, and trials and errors of Mr. Ackerley. In the book he states that vets specializing in canines were relatively new, and simply understanding that makes this book so incredibly interesting and unique. To those who are prudish and small-minded, his words have, as evidenced by other reviews, come across as something sexual and evil or wrong. Pay no mind to the poor reviews. If you are a true dog lover, read the book and comprehend the time at which it was written. If you're the kind of pet owner whose animals sleep outside or in a garage, attached at all times to heavy chain, please do us all a favor and give the pets away to loving homes."
— Christina (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Narrator Ralph Cosham makes this sublime memoir even grander with his precise yet warm and humane delivery…Cosham does each human and canine justice. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“The love story of the year.”
— Vanity Fair -
“Sublime and amusing.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer -
“One of the bona fide dog-lit classics.”
— New Yorker -
“[Ackerley’s] descriptions of Tulip have the power to shake up our sentimental preconceptions about dogs, and dogs’ relationships to men; and they twinkle with the electricity of felt compassion and love.”
— New York Times -
“This is the funniest, most poignant, and, consider yourself warned, preeminently disgusting of all the great dog books. First published in 1965, it portrays in the most affectionate terms what the dogless tend to consider outrageous transgressions.”
— Boston Globe -
“[Ackerley] aimed to shock, and his success was heightened by the soap-bubble sparkle and lightness of his prose.”
— New Criterion -
“In its own quirky fashion, Ackerley’s wry valentine to his beloved pet is as much a book about the difficult art of living and loving as it is a dog story.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“One of the greatest books ever written by anybody in the world.”
— Truman Capote -
“By far the best ‘animal book’ I’ve ever read.”
— Julia Glass, National Book Award–winning author -
“I love this book because it shows respect and profound understanding of the animal on its own terms.”
— Armistead Maupin, New York Times bestselling author -
“This is one of the greatest masterpieces of animal literature.”
— Christopher Isherwood
Awards
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AudioFile Best Book of the Year
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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An Audie Award Finalist
My Dog Tulip Listener Reviews
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" If you've had a dog or like dogs you'll enjoy this book as I did. Very descriptive and a few laughs along the way in the author's telling of his relationship with Tulip. "
— Raloki , 7/4/2023 -
" Interesting and odd memoir of a crusty English bachelor's relationship to his German Shepherd. I'm interested to see how this was adapted into an animated movie. "
— Anmiryam, 1/27/2014 -
" A book about a man's struggle to breed his bitch so that she can experience the miracle of creating life and the wonders of giving birth. This book is supposed to be charming but I think it's just weird. "
— Marisa, 1/25/2014 -
" Not like most dog books, but a revealing and accurate story about a dog and its owner. This book didn't ring as being false and superficial. "
— Robert, 1/24/2014 -
" A very excellent and bizarre book that was mostly about a single old gay man in London between the world wars and his fixation on his dog's mating patterns. "
— Tim, 1/22/2014 -
" It's fifteen years since I read this little gem and I'm delighted to see that it's recently been made into a wonderful animated feature film. Yes it's a book about a dog called Tulip, but soooooo much more is teeming away beneath the surface. Touchingly popmous here and there, the narrative is rich with honesty and offers shrewd perceptions of character. Buy the book and see the film! "
— Barry, 1/15/2014 -
" It's reassuring to learn that there are people in this world who are ever so slightly nuttier than I am. I loved this book! "
— Koeeoaddi, 12/25/2013 -
" I started out really liking this book, but then around Chapter 3, it devolved into more of the same, but somehow loonier. The human character was so dotty (he could only be a middle-aged lonely Brit), which was first endearing, then tiring. A short story turned into a full-length book. "
— Lynn, 11/9/2013 -
" Charming - but the focus is not just a story about a man and his dog but rather on the dog's reproductive life. Curious angle... "
— Ophelia3339, 8/25/2013 -
" Enjoyable. An easy read about a man's love for his dog. What else does one need? "
— Baron, 8/23/2013 -
" The writing is very English, very witty. But I wanted to shake the author and say "get her spayed!" "
— Lynne, 7/31/2013 -
" This was so not what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. "
— Jennifer, 7/28/2012 -
" Very well written. Gentle. Funny. Humble. "
— Tracy, 7/23/2012 -
" A wonderful story of a man and his dog, who, I think was the better person of the two. "
— Sara, 6/29/2012 -
" I do not approve of Ackerley's methods, not one little bit. Granted, this was the 1940s, and attitudes and practices were different than they are now. But mating his dog for no other reason than that he wanted her to experience motherhood - really, that's just irresponsible. "
— Dale, 3/18/2012 -
" I giggled my way through Tulip's adventures from the beginning almost to the end, when I cried tears from my heart. "
— Ellyn, 12/23/2011 -
" A little base so far but pretty funny!<br/><br/>"dogs read the world through their noses and write their history in urine." "
— Josh, 11/6/2011 -
" I do not approve of Ackerley's methods, not one little bit. Granted, this was the 1940s, and attitudes and practices were different than they are now. But mating his dog for no other reason than that he wanted her to experience motherhood - really, that's just irresponsible. "
— Dale, 9/29/2011 -
" Story of a man and his German Shepherd. A bit bizarre, especially Ackerley's preoccupation with the female dog's sexual needs. "
— Christine, 9/19/2011 -
" That Ackerley loved his dog is without question. He may, in fact, have loved her a little <em>too</em> much. "
— Trish, 2/21/2011 -
" A book about a man's struggle to breed his bitch so that she can experience the miracle of creating life and the wonders of giving birth. This book is supposed to be charming but I think it's just weird. "
— Marisa, 2/16/2011 -
" Interesting and odd memoir of a crusty English bachelor's relationship to his German Shepherd. I'm interested to see how this was adapted into an animated movie. "
— Anmiryam, 1/13/2011
About J. R. Ackerley
J. R. Ackerley (1896–1967) was for many years the literary editor of the BBC magazine the Listener. A respected mentor to such younger writers as Christopher Isherwood and W. H. Auden, he was also a longtime friend and literary associate of E. M. Forster. His works include three memoirs—Hindoo Holiday, My Dog Tulip, and My Father and Myself—and a novel, We Think the World of You.
About Geoffrey Howard
Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) was a stage actor and an award-winning narrator. He recorded more than 100 audiobooks in his lifetime and won the prestigious Audio Award for Best Narration and several AudioFile Earphones Awards.